Apparatus for setting of rods for deep well installations

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for setting the suspension means of deep well pump installations during operation, which comprises a pumping rod. Two clamping means, including an upper clamping means and a lower clamping means, are operable on the polishing rod during the pumping operation. A suspension rail is operatively connected with the pumping rod, and a hydraulic cylinder with a piston reciprocates therein and is insertable between the upper clamping means and the suspension rail. A receiver container is adapted to feed a liquid medium under low pressure sufficient for lifting of the unloaded pistons and returns the liquid medium from the cylinder caused by the pressure originating from the suspension load by control with a throttle valve.

United States Patent Lodynski July 25, 1972 s41 APPARATUS FOR SETTING OF RODS 3,051,237 8/1962 Liles ..74/583 x FOR DEEP WELL INSTALLATIONS 3,363,475 1/1968 Foster ..74/581 X [72] inventor: Emil Lodynskl, Modling, Austria Primary Examin'er Roben Riordon [73] Assignee: Firma Friedrich Leutert, Luneburg, Ger- Melton many Attorney-Ernest G. Montague [21] Appl' 12307 An apparatus for setting the suspension means of deep well pump installations during operation, which comprises a pump- [30] Foreign Application Priorit D m ing rod. Two clamping means, including an upper clamping means and a lower clamping means. are operable on the Feb. 21, 1969 AUStl'la ..A rod during the p p g operation. A suspension rail is operativeiy connected with the pumping rod, and a hydrau- ..254/93Bl6(a;7ggi 6 cylinder with a piston reciprocates therein and is insertable betweentheupperclampingmeansandthesuspensionrail.A [58] Flew Search "L,'Z);i' ?bg fg ggzfi receiver container is adapted to feed a liquid medium under low pressure suflicient for lifting of the unloaded pistons and [56] Reerences Cited returns the liquid medium from the cylinder caused by the pressure originating from the suspension load by control with UNITED STATES PATENTS a throttle valve 3,147,946 9/1964 Hale ..91/4 X 6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures BQSYLNB Mi 2 5 I872 SHEET 1 BF 2 INVENTOR.

E MIL LODYNSK I ATTORNEY.

EPATENTEDJMB m2 1 3,679,178

saw 2 BF 2 INVENTOR. EMIL LODYNSKI ATTORNEY APPARATUS FOR SETTING OF RODS FOR DEEP WELL INSTALLATIONS The present invention relates to an apparatus for deep well pump installations during operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is to be applied particularly in deep well pump installations for oil conveyance and which serves the purpose for adjusting the position of the pumping rod relative to the suspension rail during the pump operations, that means to set and to lift again, respectively, the pump suspension during the pumping operation.

It is known that disturbances in oil conveyance with deep well pumps can be removed often by a temporary abutment of the piston onto the foot valve. In practice one helps himself such, that the pump block is shut off and the pump suspension is set slightly deeper, which is sufficient in accordance with experience, to obtain the abutment, in order to ride for a time with abutting pistons, until the result is obtained.

It is one object of the present invention which provides an apparatus for setting of rods for deep well pump installations during operation, wherein a process which makes possible a raw setting in the above-described process, is to be simplified by the apparatus of the present invention, refined and rendered more economical. This makes it possible namely, to set the suspension deeper and higher, slowly and equally, during the operation of the pump. Whereby, as a matter of course, the abutting point can be exactly determined. Compared with the known method for which a plurality of operators is required, by means of the apparatus designed in accordance with the present invention, one single operator is capable of performing the operation. Furthermore, with the present invention, the correct setting of the pump piston in case of greater running speeds and working depths could be performed. Due to the dynamic oscillations to which the pump suspension is subjected, the length of the piston stroke varies appreciably relative to the stroke of the rod, and in addition the variations of the level and the gas ratios offer an interruption of the operation, exercise an influence, so that a correct setting of the piston is performed with difficulty from the start during the stand still of the pump block.

An apparatus is known in which, by rotation of a nut sleeve, the end of the suspension equipped with outer thread can be lowered and lifted, respectively. This arrangement has the drawback, that the lifting and lowering is possible only to such extent as the thread does not enter the range of the packing box, furthermore that during lifting an appreciable force is required for rotation of the nut sleeve due to the thread friction caused by the high load, which appreciable force brings about rotation of the entire suspension.

With the apparatus of the present invention, a lowering and a lifting of the suspension during the operation is rendered possible over the entire range of the rod and particularly without special force application by the operator, who can perform alone the required labor. It can, contrary to the known apparatus, if necessary, be applied at any pump installation and after performance, can be dismounted again without interruption of the operation and can be set in at another place. With one single apparatus a series of probes can be operated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the setting of rods or deep well pump installations during operation wherein two clamps operable during the pump operation or the like are provided on the pumping rod, and at least one hydraulic cylinder with a piston between the upper clamp and the suspension rail are insertable, whereby a medium under low pressure sufficient for lifting the unloaded piston is fed to the cylinder from a receiver container and this medium can be returned from the cylinder by the appreciably higher pressure caused by the suspension load into the storage container in a controllable manner by means of a throttle valve or the like.

Devices or apparatus for releasing and closing of the rod clamps during the operation and a clamp particularly suitable therefor have been developed by the present inventor and form the subject matter of other patent, applications.

The lowering of the suspension should not be performed suddenly; rather, it should be performed slowly and with a slow start under continuous control of the operator by sensing and, by dynamo meter measurings, respectively. For this purpose are hydraulic cylinders are preferably suitable, which cylinders are connected by means of a conduit with a receiver container, in which are disposed in addition to a shut-off valve, .a finally controllable throttle valve and a relief valve, which valves are disposed parallel to each other. For this purpose, however, also mechanical means can be applied. For instance, the friction resistance with or without application of resilient buffer inserts for braking of the lowering movement can be used. Furthermore, the braking can be obtained by transformation of the energy freed during lowering into mechanical labor.

It is known to use hydraulic cylinders for the purpose, in order to switch a dynamo meter into the suspension, as well as to lift and to lower suspension loads, in particular such devices used during deepening of bore holes for lifting and lowering the bore suspension strand and of individual rod combinations, respectively. During the oil conveyance, by means of deep well pumps, hydraulic arrangements which can be mounted in and out during the operation for setting of the level position of the pump piston, are not known. A preferred embodiment of the pressure medium receiver container resides in the fact, that the latter has at least a partly flexible wall, for example, the form of bellows, and is built into a container receiving a pressure gas or is equipped with a spring, which has a tendency to reduce its volume.

Upon insertion of the hydraulic cylinder between the two clamps sitting on the rod and release of the lower clamp, by controlled release of the pressure medium from the cylinders, a slow lowering of the suspension is brought about. By closing the shutoff valve, the downward movement can be stopped. The procedure of releasing extends over an available stroke length of the hydraulic pistons and can be repeated as often as necessary until the desired goal is obtained, respectively, as much as the length of the rod permits. In order to be able to perform also a lifting of the suspension, preferably another releasable clamp or the like is provided on the rod-packing box, as well as a slotted wedge, slidable onto the rod, by the stepwise insertion of which between the clamp and rodpacking box, a slow rising or lifting of the suspension can be obtained.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a hydraulic lowering device;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same device;

FIG. 4 is a schematic showing of the apparatus of the present invention in which the cooperation of the cylinder with the receiver container and of the valve can be ascertained;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views of the connecting point of the rods with four horsehead cables of a deep well pump in three different operative positions; and

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 depict the valve positions corres-ponding to the position shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

Referring now to the drawings, the apparatus designed in accordance with the present invention comprises hydraulic cylinders 1 and 1', which are connected rigidly below by means of a bridge 2. The bridge 2 supports itself downwardly over a lower clamp 16 onto the suspension and has in its center a recess 3, which is adopted for sliding on the rod. The two pistons 4 and 4' can move upwardly only up to abutments (not shown) and are connected at their top by means of a bridge 5, which assumes the rod load. Also this upper bridge 5 has a recess 6 for the eccentric mounting onto the rod. On both bridges 2 and 5, and their counterfaces, respectively,

safety devices 22 and 23 (FIGS. 6 and 1) are provided, in order to prevent the removal of the releasing apparatus in its mounted state.

A joint conduit 7 is in communication with the cylinders l and l, which conduit 7 leads to a receiver container 8 by means of a valve combination 10, 11 and 12. This container 8 has a capacity which is slightly more than double compared with the volume of the two hydraulic cylinders jointly. While the hydraulic cylinders l and I assume pressures up to 700 atmospheres above atmospheric pressure, the pressure in the receiver container 8 moves between 1 and 3 atmospheres above atmospheric pressure. Inside of the container 8 is a bellows 9 which serves for the reception of liquid, while the remaining space of the container is filled with air and gas, respectively, and forms an elastic buffer. Gas and liquid cannot mix with each other in this manner. The valve combination comprises a stop valve 10, a return valve 11, as well as a throttle valve 12, which latter two valves are arranged parallel relative to each other. In the container 8 always a preliminary pressure 1 3 atmospheres above atmospheric pressure is present, which is sufficient to drive the liquid through the return valve 11 into the unloaded cylinders and to lift the pistons up to an abutment. If, however, the suspension load, which moves in the range of a few tons, passes onto the pistons, the liquid flows from the cylinders through the open stop valve 10 and the throttle valve 12 into the bellows 9, while the return valve closes automatically. By setting of throttle valve 12, one has it in his hands to control the speed of the lowering of the pistons. By closing the stop valve 10, any flow between the cylinders and the container can be stopped and thus the pistons are retained in a pre-determined position. On the container 8 is arranged also a closing screw 13, with a return valve, which serves the purpose of pumping the container to the predetermined preliminary pressure.

The procedure of setting lower and lifting of the pump suspension will now be described more clearly in connection with FIGS. to of the drawings. It can be ascertained from FIG. 5, which shows the preparation for insertion of the releasing device, that the horse-head" cables 14 of the pump block carry the suspension rail 15, on which the suspension load rests. On the rod 18, which forms the upper closure, is provided a lower clamp 16 and an upper clamp 17, the latter being shown in the positions A and B. For the insertion of the hydraulic releasing device, at first the lower clamp 16 is tightened, and the upper clamp 17 is loosened and lifted to the position B so far, that the releasing device has space between the clamps l6 and 17. It is of greater advantage, to build in the releasing device with inserted pistons. For arresting of the pistons, the stop valve 10 and the throttle valve 12 are closed, as shown in FIG. 8. The insertion during operation takes place by sliding the rod into the slots 3 and 6 and following aligning of the releasing device against the lower clamp 16 and the built-in intermediate members, respectively. In order to prevent an inadvertent removal, resilient resting balls or magnets (not shown) are built into the slots 3 and 6 (not shown), which retain the releasing device on the rods.

Now the stop valve 10 is opened. Whereby the pressure liquid flows from the bellows 9 over the return valve 11 into the hydraulic pistons, and drives the latter upwardly up to the abutment. Only then the upper clamp 17 is lowered up to the bridge 5, aligned and tightened.

By this arrangement the preparations for the lowering of the rod are terminated, which position is shown in FIG. 6. For releasing, now the lower clamp 16 is opened, so that the rod load rests on the upper bridge 5, and the pistons 4 and 4' are pushed downwardly, whereby the liquid returns from the cylinders 1 and 1' through the throttle valve 12 into the bellows 9. By means of the throttle valve 12, the speed of the lowering pump suspension is thereby controlled, as shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings. By sensing of the rod and of the control, respectively, by means of a dynamo meter-diagram, the desired low position; that is usually the abutment point of the deep pump piston onto the foot valve is determined and, as

soon as the correct low position is determined, a further lowering is prevented by closing of the throttle valve 12. If the limited single low setting by the stroke length of the hydraulic piston is not sufficient, the procedure can be repeated as often as much as the available rod length permits.

Referring now again to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 7, this figure shows the position during the relifting of the rod 18. For this purpose, a further clamp 19 and a wedgeshaped catching fork 20 must be inserted between the packing box 21 and the rail 15. This additional clamp 19 is preferably a conventional two-part clamp with a hinge; however, equipped with a bolt which can be released and tightened during operation. This clamp 19 is secured in such a way on the rod 18, that it comes to stay at the lower depth point of the pump movement just above the rod packing box 21. The throttle valve 12 is closed during lifting, which position is shown in FIG. 10, and the liquid can thus flow only through the return valve 11. If now the catching fork 20 is moved slowly between the clamp 19 and the packing box 21, the upper clamp 17 moves for the same length from its support, at the lowermost point of the pump movement, which causes a following of the pistons 4 and 4'. The lifted position is retained, since the return valve 11 prevents a return of the liquid into the bellows 9. Thus, the rod can be lifted again relative to the suspension rail 15, slowly and stepwise.

In order to restore the normal state of the completed new setting of the polishing rod, the stop valve 10 is closed, the lower clamp 16 is tightened, and the upper clamp 17 is loosened. Now the releasing device can be lifted. Finally, the upper clamp 17 is moved again into the position A (FIG. 5), whereby the normal operational state is attained again.

In some fields, it is usual to support the suspension load not with a clamp, but rather with distancing sleeves against the pushing disposed at the upper end of the rod. In such cases, in order to be in position to apply the above-described method, this sleeve must be formed clamp-like, so that it can be loosened during operation, so that it is thus flooded in longitudinal direction and held together by means of a bolt, which can be operated during operation in accordance with the normal procedure. The lower clamp 16 must be present by all means, since only a securing of the rod at this point makes the operation possible. The place for the releasing device is created by removal of the corresponding number of distancing sleeves. The latter must finally be completed after in accordance with the desired setting and the rod sleeve must be mounted again.

In the shown embodiment one-part clamps are used, as they have been developed by the inventor. They have the advantage that their arcs of contact find places in the recess of the horsehead path and on the other hand also a dynamo meter can be inserted over their back. In pump arrangements, in which in their highest lift positions between the horsehead lower edge and the suspension rail, so much space is present that the upper clamp cannot enter the range of the horsehead path; also conventional two-part rod clamps with hinges can be inserted, as long as they are equipped with bolts, which makes possible the loosening and the closing during the pump operation.

In the embodiment of the releasing device a number of possibilities for variations present themselves, although not limited thereto. Thus, for instance, the counter pressure exerted on the bellows 9 is not necessary to be produced by a gas present in the container 8, rather also a spring can be provided for causing the compression of the bellows 9.

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that these embodiments are given by example only and not in a limiting sense.

Iclaim:

1. An apparatus, comprising a pumping rod for deep well pump installations,

two clamping means including an upper clamping means and a lower clamping means, operable on said pumping rod during the pumping operation,

suspension means of a deep well pump installation including a suspension rail operatively connected with said pumping rod,

a hydraulic cylinder with a piston reciprocating therein and insertable between said upper clamping means and said suspension rail, and

a receiver container means including a throttle valve and for feeding a liquid medium under low pressure sufficient for lifting of said piston when unloaded and for returning said liquid medium from said hydraulic cylinder caused by pressure originating from the suspension load by control with said throttle valve, whereby the suspension means can be set during operation.

2. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a conduit connecting said hydraulic cylinder with said receiver container means,

a stop valve, said throttle valve is a finely controllable valve, and a return valve, said valves operatively disposed in said receiver container means, and

said throttle and return valves are disposed parallel relative to each other and in series with said stop valve.

3. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receiver container means has a flexible wall and is operatively disposed in a pressure-gas containing container.

4. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receiver container means has a flexible wall, and

a spring engaging said flexible wall and tending to reduce the liquid volume of said storage container.

5. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a pumping rod-packing box,

a further releasable clamping means, disposed above said pumping rod-packing box and for lifting the latter, and

a slotted wedge means slideable out of said pumping rod.

6. A deep well device, comprising in combination a suspension rail and cables for supporting said suspension rail,

a pumping rod displaceably mounted through said suspension rail,

a releasing device releasably insertable onto said pumping rod above said suspension rail,

a lower clamp disposed on said pumping rod on said suspension rail and said releasing device resting on said lower clamp, the latter including means for tightening and loosening said lower clamp on said pumping rod,

an upper clamp disposed on said pumping rod, and movable to positions thereon spaced from said lower clamping rod for the insertion of said releasing device therebetween, said upper clamp including means for tightening and loosening said upper clamp on said pumping rod,

said releasing device including a hydraulic cylinder and a piston operatively mounted therein and a receiver container holding a hydraulic fluid and having a conduit means connected to said hydraulic cylinder,

a stop valve disposed in said conduit means adjacent said receiver container and a one way return valve permitting fluid to flow only in a direction from said hydraulic cylinder to said receiver container, and a throttle valve disposed in parallel in said conduit means adjacent said hydraulic cylinder. 

1. An apparatus, comprising a pumping rod for deep well pump installations, two clamping means including an upper clamping means and a lower clamping means, operable on said pumping rod during the pumping operation, suspension means of a deep well pump installation including a suspension rail operatively connected with said pumping rod, a hydraulic cylinder with a piston reciprocating therein and insertable between said upper clamping means and said suspension rail, and a receiver container means including a throttle valve and for feeding a liquid medium under low pressure sufficient for lifting of said piston when unloaded and for returning said liquid medium from said hydraulic cylinder caused by pressure originating from the suspension load by control with said throttle valve, whereby the suspension means can be set during operation.
 2. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a conduit connecting said hydraulic cylinder with said receiver container means, a stop valve, said throttle valve is a finely controllable valve, and a return valve, said valves operatively disposed in said receiver container means, and said throttle and return valves are disposed parallel relative to each other and in series with said stop valve.
 3. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receiver container means has a flexible wall and is operatively disposed in a pressure-gas containing container.
 4. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receiver container means has a flexible wall, and a spring engaging said flexible wall and tending to reduce the liquid volume of said storage container.
 5. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a pumping rod-packing box, a further releasable clamping means, disposed above said pumping rod-packing box and for lifting the latter, and a slotted wedge means slideable out of said pumping rod.
 6. A deep well device, comprising in combination a suspension rail and cables for supporting saId suspension rail, a pumping rod displaceably mounted through said suspension rail, a releasing device releasably insertable onto said pumping rod above said suspension rail, a lower clamp disposed on said pumping rod on said suspension rail and said releasing device resting on said lower clamp, the latter including means for tightening and loosening said lower clamp on said pumping rod, an upper clamp disposed on said pumping rod, and movable to positions thereon spaced from said lower clamping rod for the insertion of said releasing device therebetween, said upper clamp including means for tightening and loosening said upper clamp on said pumping rod, said releasing device including a hydraulic cylinder and a piston operatively mounted therein and a receiver container holding a hydraulic fluid and having a conduit means connected to said hydraulic cylinder, a stop valve disposed in said conduit means adjacent said receiver container and a one way return valve permitting fluid to flow only in a direction from said hydraulic cylinder to said receiver container, and a throttle valve disposed in parallel in said conduit means adjacent said hydraulic cylinder. 